The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1887-12-27
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4
II intercepted the post boy he said taking
q seat In the big arm chair by the window,
| "and was so fortunate as to receive a lettef
from home. The pressure was irresistible, and
fingered by the way to read its contents 7
| also saw the fruits of our recent iabors, or at
| least part OF them, and am now ready to lay
| open their snowy pages and read our fates.''
Accordingly the letters were divided as her
| agreement and from their contents We were to
| form our conclusions and select our scorrespon-
dents. 1T was indeed interesting to read sOme
'of them; others were slushy, but especially
was istruck with the contents of one. / had
! no Idea who the writer was, but through an
unexplainable desire to solve the mystery and
Know the one whose hand would trace such a
| soantly worded note, | slipped it sway in my
INSIDE GOAT pocket, saying nothing at all about
IL 70 Moore. There was the slightest chance
oil meeting the fair young Hebe, but / deter
mined to know her and see her If life lasted.
xA.tlothers beside 1t was tame reading to me.
| She wrote:
half suspect you are old Bachelors with tianed
socks and threadbare pants trying to entTap some
III not go, that's sure though don't mind cores
pondlng with you for nun, end If you II be real
clever and promise not to look too rusty Il letyon
| big tnother--a clever specimen Of what brother
should be who has a. real pert httle sister. The
brother into whose hands this falls may address
for the present Rosa RowLAND
Care Belleyiew Institute.
/ wrote at once. Moore found correspon-
dent, too, and felt in better lunor than Tor
| several days over the prospects for fun. In
time reply came and with tia picture in ex-
change Tor one / sent. Tho face was all that
fastidiousncss could demand oran artist desire
for model was more entrapped than ever,
ana determined more strongly than before to
keepm own secret.
Il was now well into tho fall and my new
made friend had taken his departure several
days, not, however, before he had made me
promise him "a visit Christmas Icould hardly
wait the time intervening between the replies
and answers to Rosa's letters, and once niada
yisitto c. in the hope that could get
glimpse at least OF the nymph which was
preying SO soissiy IIIJT5iI the viiaIs OF nay
emotional nature 1t was no use, Madam
Jlatfey, they said, neyor allowed the young Lac
dies 60 see compay, and rarely allowed them
to walk the public bonleyards. mentioned
the name once 90 my landlords knowing indi-
vidnal who had lived In the town many years
and knew every settler for miles around-in
the vain hope that some information could be
gained in an indirect way about my unknown
correspondent.
Miss Rowland9 Why, of course T know
her; who doesn't? Why, she's the choice OF
the town, and holds . position at that institute
that not one in 10 thousand could approach.
They say she's goinEsto marry the old French
professor this fall He's awful gone on herr
with her every prayer meeting night, and sun
days pinned to her apron strings She's too
good for him, but it's go, my wife says and
then women generally knows bout these
things better'n we men,"
1 could stand no more. Vain, delusive
world; sad realities Of life; nebulous day
dreams of hopeful anticipation dashed to
pieces when the morning sun OF happiness had
just begun to expand the tendrils of love and
entwine them in garland Of blissful sweet
ness around my erst-whie callous heart. To
lnger was to suffer- and returning to Cotton-
vile by the next train l determined to write
no more letters to the coy, coquetish Rosa, and
to go home at once.
1t lacked only a few weeks of Christmas,
and | reserved my recent experience to tell my
friend when should see him. Busying my.
self with affairs incident to return from O
lengthy visit, the sd Of December was at hand
ere half my work was gone over, and the
lightning express over the M. Sc NJ X. r. was
bearing me in the direction of Georgia and the
town in which Robert Moore resided.
Moore was glad to see me, of course, but ow-
ing to the lateness Of the hour was conduc-
ted to my apartments and consigned to the
tender cares of Morpheus when tired nature
could reassert itself in balmy sleep. The next
morning | was 10 be introduced to the family.
Early arranged my toilet thinking all the
while of the strange coincidence that had
never asked any questions before about who
composed the family.
My attention was first attracted by the
strains Of enhancing music and then voice,
the melody of which floating on the morning
grandest concerts icaught my ear.
While listening entranccd TO the
heavenly music, / was interrupted by tha
appearance of Moore, who conducted me at
once into the conservatory and presented to hia
mother. Then Just as the last note died away
/ heard him say, "My sister Rosa, Mr..
Harpey," and turning / caught sight of face
which had haunted me for weeks. IL was mona
other than the face Of her whom ] had known
as Rosa Rowland impressed ndelibly on my
memory by photograph was sure de-
tected u recognition ON her part also, but
women are more adroit that men and conceal
their sudden impulses in remarkably clever
way
My surmise was correct. AS soon as an OPP
portunity presented itself she said 81 see
you come 70 MS according to the terms laid
down in my letter, not at all rusty and deal
younger than ! supposed"
This broke the ice. Moore was called up
that our mutual confession should he made in
his presence. more astonished being new.
or saw and his face would have been harder
70 unrave than Egyptian hierogiyphics. But
| was determined 70 let her know that know
il all and that was master OF the situation.
"rhe professor" said "the French pro-
fessor. What a captivating man he must be,
and what lucky star hangs over him that he
should be so fortunate"
Eyes he will be married soon to my aunt,
Miss Rosa Rowland, one OF the teachers at
Beleyew."
"Then you are not Miss"
''I am Rosa Rowland Moore, and the lttle
game played on you through my aunt may
have been wrong, but IL was a temptation
that but few school girls conld resist If they
had tho same opportunity offered to myself"
"My sister Rosa" did not convey the infor-
nation that the young lady before me was
more than half sister Of Moores, and when I
SO readily traced her face by her picture,
though astonished, / thought could see it all.
But now the truth had dawned upon me and
could see what an idiot had been. / was
more bewitched than ever. The hours length
ened into days, the days into one, two, three
weeks, and when left there was another prom
Use made and this time it was that
when / came again there should be another
specimen displayed, but 1t was for the benefit
OF theL"big BROTHER" and no was TO sec what
Il clever specimen Of husband should be,
who has a real peart little wife
II is needless 70 say that will BIO exhibited,
and under the careful manipulations Of sweet
little Rosa, think / II take the cake.
IL Didn't Work.
From the Nebraska State Journal.